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Matt Hunter
Head Coach
Matt Hunter begins his 12th year at the helm of the York College men’s basketball program with the 2023-24 season.
Hunter's Spartans had a banner 2019-20 season with their second Capital Athletic Conference championship in three years with their 79-77 win at Christopher Newport in the conference championship game. The Spartans made their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance as they advanced to the second round for the third straight year. York beat St. John Fisher 88-67 in the opening round before falling to #5 Mount Union in the second round. The Green and White finished with a mark of 23-6 including 9-1 as they earned their third straight CAC Regular Season championship. Senior point guard Jared Wagner was named the CAC Player of the Year while he was joined on the first-team All-CAC squad by junior David Giuliani. Wagner earned NABC All-Region honors and was also named a second-team All-American.
The Spartans were 86-29 between the 2016-17 and 2019-20 campaigns with a pair of conference tournament championships, three regular season CAC championships, three NCAA Tournament appearances, three NCAA Tournament wins, and a pair of CAC Player of the Year award winners.
The Spartans had another strong campaign in the 2018-19 season posting a 22-8 record and a 12-2 mark in conference play as the Spartans were regular season co-champions. The Spartans reached the CAC championship game but fell to Christopher Newport. York earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, the second straight year the Spartans appeared in the national tournament. The Spartans defeated DeSales in their opening round contest but fell to host Randolph-Macon in the second round. Hunter coached two All-CAC players on the year including CAC Player of the Year and Third Team All-American Jason Bady.
Hunter was named region co-coach of the year following the 2017-18 season.
York is finished 2018 with a 24-5 record, including 14-4 in conference play. Hunter led the Spartans to a regular season and CAC tournament title and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. This was their first appearance in the tournament since 2012 and their first tournament victory since 2005. The Spartans reached national recognition as the 4th ranked team in the country after a 16-game win streak under Hunter. He also coached two first team all-CAC players who also received two NABC All-Middle Atlantic regional honors. The 24 wins were the third most in school history.
The Spartans had a year of growth in 2022-23 as the youthful Spartan squad finished with a record of 14-12 overall and an 8-8 mark in the MAC Commonwealth. York earned a berth in the Commonwealth tournament as they ripped off seven wins in their final nine games to earn a spot in the post season. The 2023-24 campaign is one of great promise as the Spartans return almost their entire roster from last year.
Hunter arrived at York College after spending the previous four seasons as a full time assistant coach at DeSales University. The Bulldogs went 84-32 during Hunter’s tenure on the DeSales bench. The Bulldogs went to a pair of NCAA Tournaments as they advanced to the Elite Eight in 2008-09 and to the Sweet 16 in 2009-10. DeSales won two MAC Freedom Conference championships and played in the championship game in three of the four years he was with the program.
Hunter is no stranger to the Capital Athletic Conference as he was a three-year letter winner at Salisbury University. He graduated from Salisbury with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education in May of 2005. He posted a GPA of 3.62, as he was a three-time CAC All-Academic team selection. Hunter was a two-year captain for the Sea Gulls’ men’s basketball squad.
Hunter has a very definitive idea of what he expects from his Spartan teams.
“I want players who are, first and foremost, great people,” says Hunter. “Being good students and good players are important but I feel kids with great character will provide us with our best chance to be champions. I want our players to have a mindset of hard work and dedication. I also want them to have the willingness to sacrifice for their teammates.”
Prior to Hunter’s stop at DeSales, he was on the staff at The College of New Jersey. While at TCNJ, Hunter was thrust into the role of interim head coach for the 2007-08 season at the age of 24. Prior to being named as the interim coach, he served as a TCNJ part-time assistant for the 2005-06 season. He then moved to the full-time assistant position for the 2006-07 campaign.
Hunter knows what he wants his teams to project.
“I want our teams to be recognized as ones that work hard, play together and play the game the right way. We will respect the game, the opponent and the process of improving as individuals and as a team. I believe that the saying ‘Character is who you are when nobody is watching’ will be very true of our basketball student-athletes.”
The Spartans are 139-130 in Hunter's 11 seasons on the bench. He picked up his 100th win with the Spartans on January 5, 2020 when York recorded an 85-62 win over Marymount in the second round of the Spartan Classic. The Spartans' 2020-21 season was wiped out by COVID-19.
Hunter resides in York with his wife Annie and their children Kelsey, Emma, and Tommy.
Jared Wagner
Assistant Coach
Jared Wagner enters his third year as head coach Matt Hunter’s top assistant with the start of the 2023-24 campaign. The season also marks his first year as a full-time assistant coach.
The former Spartan point guard completed a decorated playing career in which he was named the Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Year, an NABC Second Team All-American, and an NABC First Team All-District selection after a stellar senior season in 2019-20 that saw him average 18 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and three steals per game. Wagner was also named to the Bevo Francis Award Watch List Top-50 and a Reese’s NABC Division III All-Star in his senior campaign. Wagner led the Spartans to three NCAA postseason appearances and a pair of CAC Tournament Championships throughout his career during which the Spartans compiled a .748 win percentage (86-29)
A two-time All-Capital Athletic Conference selection, Wagner finished his career with 1505 points (ninth in school history), 559 rebounds (10th in school history), 554 assists (second in school history), 288 steals (first in school history), 115 games played (first in school history) and 3385 minutes minutes played (fourth in school history). He also set the CAC’s single-season assist record with 202 in 2019-20 and set York’s single-season record for made free throws with 158 in his senior season.
In addition to his extensive playing experience, Wagner also possesses experience patrolling the sidelines as he comes to York following a one-year stint as an assistant coach at Hood and five years as a head coach with the York Ballers AAU organization. Wagner has also spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Eastern York Boys Varsity Basketball program.
The York County native was a PIAA AAAA Third Team All-State selection and a First Team All-York County honoree his senior year at Central York High School where he was a career 1,000-point scorer. The prep standout also played for the York Ballers in the AAU ranks.
Wagner earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management with a minor in Athletic Coaching from York in 2020. He was named a CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree, a two-time NABC Honors Court selection and a four-time member of the CAC All-Academic Team during his Spartan career.
Chris Bupp
Assistant Coach
Chris Bupp enters his third year as an assistant coach for the Spartans after a highly successful five year run as an assistant coach at Shippensburg University.
During his five years at Shippensburg, the Raiders compiled a record of 119-35 including PSAC East Division Champions in 2019, PSAC Tournament Champions in 2017. Also, the Raiders qualified for the NCAA Division II tournament three times highlighted by advancing to the Sweet Sixteen in 2018. Bupp also contributed to five Raider players that have played professional basketball overseas, including one Division II All-American.
Bupp spent nearly 20 years as a high school coach in the York area at Central York, West York and York Tech; he earned YAIAA Coach of the Year honors in 1988-89.
In addition to his many years as a high school coach, Bupp was involved with local basketball by serving as a coach for two different York-area AAU programs. Bupp was also a talent evaluator for high school and junior college players at two Division I basketball programs.
A lifelong resident of York, Chris and his wife Pam have been married for more than 28 years. Together, the couple has five children and 13 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.
Jason Bady
Assistant Coach
Former Spartan All-American Jason Bady begins his first year on the Spartan bench starting with the 2023-24 season.
Bady, who was a four-year letter winner for the Green and White, returns to a program where he played from the 2015-16 season through the 2018-19 campaign. The Spartans accumulated 73 wins during Bady's four years including a Capital Athletic Conference championship during his junior year and a pair of NCAA Tournament second round appearances.
The guard finished his Spartan career with one of the best individual seasons in school history as a senior. He led the Green and White to 22 wins, was named the CAC Player of the Year and was York's third All-American.
In 30 games as a senior, Bady averaged 18.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He shot 53.2% from the floor, 33.8% from three and 79.9% from the free throw line.
For his career, Bady was the 25th men's basketball player to reach 1,000 career points as he finished with 1,154 points in 110 games. He averaged 4.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists during his time in the Green and White. He was a career 48.6% shooter from the floor, 30.7% from three and 74.3% from the free throw line. Bady played 2,676 minutes during his career as he made 72 starts for the Spartans.
After his Spartan career, Bady played professionally in Europe while also having a stint in American professional hoops.
Head coach Matt Hunter is very happy to have Bady back in the fold.
"We are excited to have Jason join the coaching staff," said Hunter. "He is obviously very familiar with how we like to do things and the standards that we have within our program. It is pretty awesome to have now have not one but two of our All-Americans on our coaching staff."
Bady will be responsible for assisting in all aspects of the program and gives another respected voice on the staff.
"Jason had a tremendous work ethic as a player," said Hunter. "He maximized his time here at York College and beyond as a player and he will provide another excellent role model for our players to follow and learn from."
Bady graduated from York College with a degree in computer engineering.